2008 END OF THE YEAR REFLECTION - IN LOVING MEMORY...

Here we go again! Another year about to end and a new one beginning! This past year has been a memorable one, to say the least. It's what one might call, an emotional roller coaster.

In March of 2008, the youngest of my three sisters passed away after fighting for six weeks with a rare disease called Guillian-Barre Syndrome. She always saw the good in people and she enjoyed getting together and laughing at our jokes and just having a good time together! She was 41 when she died suddenly and unexpectedly. Eventhough we didn't grow up together, we were still close. You see, my dad and mom were separated before I was born. He remarried and had four children with his second wife. My mom lost track of him and I never knew my father until I was 26 years of age. Twenty-two years ago, I found out I had three sisters and one brother! It was certainly something different for me. I had only known myself, my mom, my grandma and one brother!

Seven months later, my loving grandmother went home to be with the Lord at the ripe age of 99 years and 10 months! What can I say about grandma! She not only was a hardworking woman who never gave up and always had our best interest in mind. When my mom came to be alone with only my brother and I, she came to live with us and took care of us while my mom went to work. She raised me and became my legal guardian after my mom remarried and moved to California in 1967.

Grandma was a woman of prayer, a true woman of God and she learned to trust Him in all circumstances! She taught me what it meant to pray with faith and what it meant to trust God at His word!

I remember one of those moments when we had no food left for the month and the Public Aid check was still a couple of weeks away. The fridge was empty and I had no idea what was at stake here. All I know that grandma was on her knees once again praying before the Lord. She even prayed when her knees were swollen from her arthritis. On this particular occasion, she was praying fervently for our next meal when there was a heavy knocking coming from the outside door to our building. I ran to see who it was and to my surprise, it was our next door neighbor! She wanted to know if we could use some of the things she had brought back from a farm that belonged to a relative of hers! She gave us about three trays of eggs, about 2 gallons of milk, several pounds of tomatoes, onions, potatoes and even a few loaves of bread! It was all that we needed to hold us off until our money came! My grandma had not even finished praying, when God was already knocking at our door with the answer! Truly, it seemed like she had a direct line to God or something. or so it seemed! Whenever she prayed and asked God for something, it was almost a sure thing that she would get it!

Many times I remember finding myself in some tough and compromising situations that would have turned out for the worst had not something or someone intervened. I'm pretty sure it was because grandma was on her knees again, putting her request and supplications before the Lord! This is the woman my grandma was!

Everything I am today, I owe it to her! (Besides God, of course!)When she saw my interest in music and an opportunity came up for me to take organ and piano lessons, she took on a babysitting job to help pay for them at the age of 65! Sometimes she would take about 3 or 4 kids at a time in order to make a little extra cash! She did this for several years. I would take the "L" train downtown to the old Lyon-Healy building on Wabash and Jackson once a week for a $20 half hour lesson. Because of her sacrifice for me, and opportunity opened up in 1989 and I was hired by the Chicago Public Schools to teach band and choir at the elementary level. It has been almost 20 years and this job has been nothing but a blessing to me and my family! When things seem bleak elsewhere, my job security is still strong!

In these uncertain economic times we find ourselves in, it has pleased God to continue to bless me. It's not that I put my trust in the economy or my employers, but rather my trust is in Him! A trust that I came to know from my grandma!

I pray that you find yourself trusting God for your future. Not only your economic future, but more importantly, your eternal future! As Christians, we are not immune from hardships and the afflictions of this world. Jesus said, "In this world you will have affliction, but take heed, I have overcome the world!" If our trust is in Him, and He has overcome the world, then we have nothing to worry about!

If you find yourself going through a hardship of any kind, fall on your knees before God and ask Him to point you in the right direction. Trust Him and then watch Him do what He does best! It's what grandma would have done!!


12/28/2008
James B. Lopez

AMERICA’S SPIRITUAL PRIESTESS – Pt 2

One of the newest books that has been given the “thumbs up” from Oprah is a book called A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle.

I happened to go to Eckhart’s web site and here’s what I found:

“Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity.

Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one.

In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are—which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are—and learn to live and breathe freely.” [http://eckharttolle.com/a_new_earth]

Apparently we are all going to go crazy, if not already there! He probably does not realize how true this may be. Watching and listening to the news nowadays, one might very well come to that conclusion, but his insanity concept is not just one of merely losing one’s mind. He’s talking about a change in what we know to be true, a totally new way of thinking, changing our outlook on life as we know it to something more. That somehow this “inner leap” will get us there and thus it will be a “new earth” in a sense. What he does not realize is that this is not something new that he has come upon. This idea has been around for ages! In current times we know it as New Age! But really, we should start changing that to ‘Old Age’ because it’s becoming just that, old! Better yet, ‘Recycled Age’! It’s the same thing packaged and repackaged and then fed to the world as something new. It all leads to the same conclusion: we are on the way to destroying ourselves as a race and the only way we can save ourselves is to come together as one, join our minds in one powerful burst of energy (I guess) and bring about peace and prosperity to all mankind! What a wonderful thing! Oh, and of course, we would need a new leader that would keep that new earth on its rightful path!

Tolle says the following:

In the Gospel story of Mary and Martha, Jesus says to Martha, “You are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is needful.” (Luke 10:41)

As I was writing A New Earth, people would sometimes ask me, “What is the new book about?” And invariably, my answer would be, “I only ever write or speak about one thing.” What is that one thing? Spiritual awakening. Can a person be awakened spiritually by a book? Yes, if three conditions are met:
[http://eckharttolle.com/a_new_earth]

Is it not interesting how all these people seem to always turn to the Bible in order to explain some of their far fetched ideas? As if the Bible was there to back up their claims! As always, this passage in Luke is taken out of context. A very typical and common mistake among those that try to use the Bible as proof for their idiotic ideas! According to Tolle, the “one thing” that is needed is “spiritual awakening”! But, this spiritual awakening is not the spiritual awakening you find when you come to Jesus or study His Word.

This is what the passage in Luke 10 is really about:

In this particular event that Tolle is quoting, Jesus has come to Bethany and has stopped by the home of some dear friends; Lazarus, Mary, & Martha. As per usual, Jesus began to teach while waiting for the meal to be prepared and served. Mary decides to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His teaching rather than to do the normal womanly task, which was the preparation and serving of the evening meal. Her sister, Martha, by the way, was doing just that. Martha was going about, probably going out of her mind and frantic because she is doing it all herself with no help from her sister! As Martha becomes totally frustrated, she comes to Jesus to complain about her dear sister. It is here that Jesus tells her that although the meal was important and she was right by going about her duties, it was more important for all of them to be ‘fed’ spiritually and then the body. In other words, Jesus is telling Martha, (in our current idiom) “girl, sit down and chill! The grub can wait!” : ) He is certainly NOT telling her that she needs to read Eckhart’s book which will then awaken her to that “one thing” she needs, a spiritual consciousness!

It is true that mankind needs only “one thing”, but that “one thing” is Jesus! If Eckhart and his readers, along with Oprah, wish to attain a new earth, then all that needs to be done is to trust in Christ for salvation and He will eventually create a new earth in His future kingdom!

Stay tuned for Part 3! The 3 conditions for a spiritual awakening (according to Eckhart) will be discussed!

6/30/2008
James

Joke - IF NOAH WERE AROUND TODAY

In the year 2008, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said:

“Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans.” He gave Noah the blueprints, saying: “You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights.”

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard - but no Ark.

“Noah!” He roared, “I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?”

“Forgive me, Lord”, begged Noah, “but things have changed”. “I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system.”

“My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my back yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision. Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.”

“Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!”

“When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodations were too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.”

“Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.”

“I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew. Immigration and Naturalization are checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work.”

“The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience.”

“To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.”

“So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark.”

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.

Noah looked up in wonder and asked, “You mean you're not going to destroy the world?”

“No”, said the Lord. The government beat me to it!”

AMERICA'S SPIRITUAL PRIESTESS - PT 1

In case you haven’t heard, there is a spiritual “priestess” that has been rising on the horizon for quite some time now. We all know her as Oprah. She has been called the most influential woman in the world. That, my friends, is no small title! She is a television host, media mogul, and philanthropist. Her internationally-syndicated talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, has earned her multiple Emmy Awards and is the highest-rated talk show in the history of television. She is also an influential book critic, an Academy Award-nominated actress, and a magazine publisher. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20^th century, the most philanthropic African American of all time, and the world’s only black billionaire for three straight years. This track record certainly earns her the title of ‘most influential woman’.

How influential is Oprah, you might ask? Well, take for example a show aired in April 16, 1996 about mad cow disease with Howard Lyman, Oprah exclaimed, “It has just stopped me cold from eating another burger!” Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman in early 1998 for “false defamation of perishable food” and “business disparagement”, claiming that Oprah’s remarks subsequently sent cattle prices tumbling, costing beef producers some $12 million US dollars. If she can create such a fuss on just hamburgers, think of what else she can do in other areas of more importance. Here’s another example. In late 1996, she introduced a new segment on her TV show called Oprah’s Book Club. It focused on new books as well as classics, and often brought obscure novels to popular attention. The book club became such a powerful force that whenever Oprah introduced a new book as her book-club selection, it instantly became a best-seller! Being recognized by her often means a million additional book sales for an author! This has come to be known as the “Oprah Effect”.

But now, it seems like she is ready to add yet another title under her belt, that of America’s spiritual priestess. If it were any other person, it probably wouldn’t be much of a big deal, but we’re talking about Oprah here! And here is where the problem exists. In 2002, Christianity Today published an article called “The Church of O” in which they concluded that Oprah had emerged as an influential spiritual leader. The magazine said the following, “Since 1994, when she abandoned traditional talk-show fare for more edifying content, and 1998, when she began ‘Change Your Life TV’, Oprah’s most significant role has become that of a spiritual leader. To her audience of more than 22 million mostly female viewers, she has become a postmodern priestess-an icon of church-free spirituality.” On the season premier of her 13^th season Roseanne Barr told Oprah “you’re the African Mother Goddess of us all” inspiring much enthusiasm from the studio audience. The animated series ‘Futurama’ alluded to her spiritual influence by suggesting that, a thousand years from now, a religion known as “Oprahism” exists. I am here to tell you that you need not wait a thousand years, it is here now!

6/8/2008
James

{All information & quotes are from Wikipedia.com, the free online encyclopedia}

A HEAVENLY SIGN

I ran across this very interesting and awe-inspiring news article on Fox News online. It is about two pilots, Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson, flying a home made plane in New Zealand this past Sunday, May 25th.

As they were flying their microlight plane, they ran out of fuel and being both Christians, they immediately began to pray to the Lord for help. They prayed that the tiny plane would make it over the top of a ridge and that they would find a landing site that was not too steep - or in the nearby sea.

With the big possibility of losing their lives, their plane managed to make it over the ridge before finally running out of fuel completely. As soon as they came over the top of the ridge, they saw an airfield they didn’t even know was there! Now here’s the interesting part! As they glided the out of gas plane to a safe landing, they could not help but notice that the plane came to stop right next to a 20-foot-tall-sign that read: “JESUS IS LORD – THE BIBLE”! Talk about seeing a sign from heaven! J

This was truly an immediate answer to prayer! The two men later told the media that if the plane had lost all its fuel 5 minutes earlier, they would not have made it, or at the very least, been in very deep trouble! The nearby residents provided the two with gas and they were able to make it back to their home safely and without further problems.

I am always in awe of how much God is involved in our daily lives even though we might not think so. Sometimes we don’t realize it. Perhaps because we don’t see Him with our physical eyes, that it gives us the illusion that He’s not around or concerned at what is happening around us and within us.

I remember an experience I once had several years ago. It was a very cold winter’s night and I had to go make the groceries. I really didn’t want to go out that night, but we were running low on food and it had to be done. My wife stayed home with the girls and I went to the store with my list. As I pulled up to the driveway to the store, I realized I had no change in order to get a shopping cart. I would have to go inside the store, try and get change for a $20 in order to get 25 cents, to then go back outside and battle the wind for a shopping cart! As I began to plan out my strategy, I came to grips that I would just have to brave the weather and come back outside in order to accomplish my grocery shopping mission. I pulled into the store parking lot and began to look for a space to park. I found one fairly quickly since the store was not packed. As I pulled into the spot, immediately in front of my car was a shopping cart that someone had left in the lot! Apparently, they were too cold to go back and get their 25 cents back! I realized that the conversation that had been going on in my head had not gone unheeded! God had taken care of my concerns without my even asking!! With tears running down my cheeks, I gave thanks to the Lord for even considering such a small and insignificant inconvenience. I quickly got out of the car, took the shopping cart and did my shopping in record time! I think I was in and out of the store within 30 minutes! The cold wind was not a bother to me anymore. I had a joy that gave me the energy I needed to complete my responsibility! As soon as I got home, I told my wife what had happened and we gave thanks to God once again for His love, mercy and grace upon us!

I encourage you to never stop praying for those in need. God still answers prayer! Even if you think it is a small thing, for God it is important! HE is truly our Heavenly Father!!

Just when you think God is not listening…..the unexpected happens!! He knows us better than we know ourselves!

Luke 12:7 - But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

5/27/2008
James

THE PATH OF A NATION

On Thursday, May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. It was a broadly worded decision that would basically invalidate any law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation. This makes California’s high court the first in the nation to adopt such a standard. Governor Schwarzenegger said he respects the court’s ruling. L.A.’s Mayor Villaraigosa, in support of the ruling, said he would officiate at same-sex weddings. He said, “This is about people and the right for people to love who they want,” he told The Los Angeles Times. It seems like the entire state of California was celebrating over this decision. The gay and lesbian community is planning all kinds of celebration throughout the entire state.

Where is our nation headed? How did we get here? Was this what our founding fathers had in mind? These were just a few of the questions that came to mind when I heard the news this past week. This same country, which was originally founded in Christian principles, now stands with fist to heaven in defiance of the very God who made its existence possible!

Recently, I received an e-mail with a very interesting historical story concerning the Washington Monument. Once I made sure that it was legit, I was captivated by it. This monument, of course, honors of our first President, George Washington. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia Online, the actual construction began in 1848, but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect’s death. Part of that was due to lack of funding and the American Civil War. Of all the interesting and wonderful things regarding the monument, the most amazing is the capstone at the very top of the monument. It is pyramidal in shape and has a tip made of aluminum, which at that time was a very rare metal, valued about the same as silver. On the capstone itself are four inscriptions. The north, south, and west faces of the capstone have basic information concerning important dates and basic information about the building of the monument. On the pyramid face which faces east, at 555 feet above the ground and facing skyward, there is an inscription of only two words in Latin, Laus Deo, which simply means “Praise be to God”!

What a contrast and oxymoron to what we see and hear going on in our nation! Etched in stone, atop one of our nation’s most important monument is a phrase that is meant to glorify God! Is this possible? Why is it that this small, yet powerful piece of information is not shared within the textbooks of our schools? With all the shootings and killings that go on every day, with all the controversies that plague our very freedoms, with all the indifferences and biases toward Christianity, is our nation really “Praising God” in all this? Somehow I doubt it. Yet, this was the path that our nation was meant to walk. Such was the moral direction and spiritual mood of our nation in its early years! Laus Deo, Praise be to God, was the outcry of our founding father and first President of our country!

Here is a prayer offered by George Washington for our country:

'Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.'
Laus Deo!

I wonder if any of our current presidential nominees would ever hope to say something to the effect of recognizing and honoring God for the opportunity to serve this country’s highest office! Somehow I doubt it!

5/18/2008
James

SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR

Every morning when I wake up I always turn on the TV to check the weather and the latest news. It seems to me that lately the bad news just keeps getting worse by the day! Whether it's the rising cost of oil, the Democratic race between Obama and Clinton, the threats scribbled on the walls of school campuses, or the terrible devastation in Myanmar! All this and more are competing for headline news each and every day. So far the situation in Myanmar is leading the group.

With the devastation of Saturday's cyclone hitting Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, efforts to bring aid into Myanmar has hit a brick wall. Their very own government is being a hindrance to the relief efforts being offered by various countries, including the US. Myanmar is situated in southeast Asia, bordered by India, China, and Thailand. Formerly under British rule, it has come under international criticism due to its military dictatorship rule and its human rights practices. It's going on 8 days and still the government of Myanmar is not allowing any foreign aid workers or supplies into the country. Now finally, after days of refusing US aid, Myanmar's military leaders have agreed to allow one US military plane to deliver relief supplies to more than 1 million residents left homeless by the cyclone. As I was reading the news articles online, I was amazed and appalled at the fact that aid and relief was so close and available, and yet was not doing any good because of the obstacles in the way! The US has 6 C-130 planes ready to go that are waiting in neighboring Thailand ready to bring water and much needed supplies. Due to a mistrusting military government, many of the Burmese people will probably die because their government is not allowing the necessary supplies and people to come in! Talk about being so close and yet so far!!

I'm looking at this and thinking, "Is this really happening? Aren't we living in the 21st century? Haven't we "evolved" beyond this already?" It reminds me of a similar predicament that is a major problem affecting mankind to this day. The problem is sin. We have a Savior who is more than willing and ready to come to our aid and yet many are unwilling to allow Him in! Similar to the mistrusting government of Myanmar, many are not willing to trust God with their lives. People are not willing to surrender control of their lives to the one who created them! That would involve giving up control of our lives and our will to someone other than ourselves. And we can't have that now, can we?! We need to be in charge of our own destiny! Make our own place in this world! What does God know about running our lives?! Hmmm, let me see....He created us, therefor He should know us better than we know ourselves. I guess that qualifies Him as the perfect person to run our lives! And since He also loves us more than anything , He will not steer us wrong!

Not only is He more than able to come to our rescue and aid, He really wants to put us back on the track to recovery. He wants to restore us from the 'disasters' of this world and save us from our mortal enemy, the Devil. Yes, He is waiting at the 'door', waiting for us to give the OK to come in and mend our broken hearts, heal our hurting spirit, and rebuild our minds. Will we allow Him in, or will we be like Myanmar's foolish government and hinder the very one who can help and bring salvation to our much needed souls?!

God is there, so close, and yet for some, so far because of their unwillingness to allow Him in!

May we find it in our hearts to allow Him access to our lives! It will be the best thing we can ever do!


5/09/2008
James

OUT OF SCIENTOLOGY AND INTO...?

In the last week or two, there has been some interesting news that caught my attention and perhaps yours as well. On Thursday, April 17^th, the Church of Scientology made the news with the announcement of television star Jason Beghe declaring publicly his leaving the church. He has been featured in numerous TV dramas such as "Criminal Minds," "Numb3rs" and "CSI." [1a]

In 2005, he appeared in promotional spots for the Church of Scientology. But now, Beghe has escaped the church after taking courses since 1994. He’s made a video that’s up on Google Video. He had this to say: "Scientology is destructive and a rip-off." [1b] And I have this to say: “No duh!!” If you are a true student of the Bible, that should also be your answer! Of course the cults are destructive and rip offs! Let alone far from the truth! I was glad to see that finally someone opened their eyes and saw this, and all the other false religions, for what they truly are,….FALSE! The question is: where will Jason and the others that have come out of this organization go to? While I commend Jason in his "coming out", I am left to wonder if he, or any of the others, will come to find that which they are seeking? Let us hope and pray that God will send someone to reach out and minister to their lives with the real truth and thereby reaching the ultimate goal, to be with our creator forever praising and worshiping Him!

Jason Beghe was an OT 5, similar in level to Tom Cruise and John Travolta, to name some of the other more famous proponents of Scientology. OT stands for Operating Thetan. A Thetan is their word for a person, who, according to their beliefs “is an immortal spiritual being who possesses a mind and a body”. Prime among Scientology's beliefs is "that man is a spiritual being whose existence spans more than one life and who is endowed with abilities well beyond those which he normally considers he possesses." Scientology believes man to be basically good, that his experiences have led him into evil, that he errs because he seeks to solve his problems by considering only his own point of view, and that man can improve to the degree he preserves his spiritual integrity and remains honest and decent. According to the Church, the ultimate goal is: "a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights." [2] Now, that sounds familiar. This type of belief is not at all unique among the many false religions and cults that have come into existence. It shouldn’t be a surprise since Scientology is like a smorgasbord of rehashed lies and human thinking. Scientology borrows on the theories of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and William Sargant; and is influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and even Gnosticism.[3]

The Church of Scientology is not to be confused with The Church of Christ Scientist. This other so called “church” was founded by a woman named Mary Baxter Eddy following a personal healing in 1866, which she claimed happened after reading the Bible. In contrast, the founder of Scientology was a former speculative fiction author named L. Ron Hubbard. In 1952 he developed Scientology teachings as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics.[4] Interestingly enough, Scientology began as a business and entered into the religious category simply by renaming and reorganizing itself. Here is evidence that just about anything can become a “church”, regardless of its message!
I truly hope that the light of the Gospel finds its way into the lives of these and others that are seeking the Truth! It is very sad to realize that today, even the true church of Christ finds itself with a battle from within, struggling with these very same ideologies and beliefs that have now infiltrated the very same institution that at one time led the charge against such lies and deceptions!

While it is partially true that us “thetans” are immortal, we have not received that immortality yet. This will become a reality when we as believers in Christ will all be “changed, - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.” [1 Cor. 15: 51-54]

Regretfully, L. Ron Hubbard and his Church of Scientology, will be of any use to anyone when the Day of the Lord comes! You see, L. Ron Hubbard did not choose to build his foundation on solid ground, but rather in sinking sand!


4/26/2008
James

PS - [1 Thes. 4:15-18]
(15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.


Footnotes:

1a & 1b – Fox News [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351287,00.html]
2, 3, & 4 – Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia

A HOLY VISIT??

This past week America was filled with excitement because Pope Benedict XVI came for a six day visit. America seemed in need of a “holy” visit, was the mindset of many. Faithful Catholics made their pilgrimage to New York in order to catch a glimpse of the Pope. Many of those that made the trip and attended Sunday’s Mass at Yankee Stadium were young Catholics from all over the country.

A group of 65 high school students from Northridge Prep School in the Chicago suburbs could not find lodging upon arriving in New York, so they ended up sleeping on the floor of a parish hall in Manhattan. One of the young boys stated that “sleeping on the hard concrete floor” wasn’t that bad, and that he wasn’t complaining. It was a sacrifice he was willing to endure.

Another youth, a 16 year old young lady from Queens New York, was also there with her school group. She, on the other hand, is sort of walking the fence between liberal and conservative. She agrees with the church teaching against abortion, but cannot accept its stand against homosexuality. It’s not hard to see why, since her sister happens to be a lesbian. Her parents are upset over this and she feels caught in the middle. Nevertheless, she tries to live out her faith by volunteering at nursing homes, making paperclip angels for residents and giving them someone to talk to. Some of her classmates believe in the totality of Catholic teaching. But she said most are like her: trying to square their faith with their life experiences. "We are asked basically to follow Jesus and do what he did, and I understand that," she said "But it's hard nowadays. We try to do the best we can."

For all these faithful masses that have sacrificed time and effort into coming together to be a part of a historic event such as this, it cannot all be in vain, can it? I mean, watching the news on TV and seeing these people being interviewed, many of them with only a couple of hours of sleep, was inspiring. They must at least deserve or have earned some “feathers” on their “angel wings”. The sincerity and the genuine joy they were experiencing is something to be commended! Surely the Holy Father would put in a “good word” before God and made sure that these faithful servants would be guaranteed a free pass into the kingdom, and perhaps reserved seats for them in the “Celestial Hall” of Heaven. I guess doing “the best we can” should be a good enough reason for God to say; “OK, you guys did the best you could and so I have no choice but to let you into heaven”. I regret to say that that is not the case.

No one can guarantee our entrance into heaven, but God’s Son, Jesus Christ himself! Pope Benedict XVI cannot do or say anything to get anyone into heaven. He cannot even get himself in if he doesn’t put his trust in Christ for his own salvation! But wait, you say, isn’t the Pope the holiest man around? Shouldn’t he be able to get himself in? Look at all the wonderful things he stands for, the hope that he gives to many, his effort of building “bridges of friendship” among the many religions and ethnic groups. It is a message of peace and hope! He wants everyone to get along! Stop the fighting, stop the hunger, stop the inhumanities and stop the atrocities! Isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t that what being religious is all about?

Probably, if you simply want to be religious, the answer is yes. The question should be whether religion is the vehicle to heaven and eternal life. And that answer is a resounding NO!! It amazes me that many of our so called Christian leaders are echoing the same words as Pope Benedict XVI. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, is heading an initiative called The P.E.A.C.E. Plan. PEACE stands for Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick, Educate the next generation. I don’t see anything about leading people to Christ because they need salvation because we have all “fallen short of the glory of God”. Pastor Warren’s plan is to “involve every Christian and every church in every nation in the task of serving people in the areas of the greatest global needs” (emphasis mine). The “greatest global need”....isn’t that salvation??!! The greatest “sickness” that plagues our planet is SIN! Apparently Pastor Warren, and others that share the same vision, don’t think so.

I have an initiative plan for Pastor Warren, the Pope and all the other religious leaders! It’s called G.P.S.! It simply means Go Preach Salvation! Letting others know that JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY and that He, and only He, can come into our hearts and rule! That is the Holy visit that America needs! A permanent visit from the Most High!

May God have mercy on us all!!


4/24/2008
James

A TIME FOR.....

These past few weeks, or maybe I should say months, have been very stressful and hectic for sure!
The most significant being the illness and death of my youngest sister, Nina. She was admitted into the hospital around the second week of February with no feeling in her legs. On the same day she was admitted, she went into cardiac arrest and into a comma from which she never recovered. She was diagnosed with a very rare syndrome called Guillian Barre Syndrome. This syndrome is usually triggered by some type of respiratory infection or stomach flu. Most people do recover, but there is that less than 5% chance that can be fatal. My sister fell in that unfortunate category! She passed away on March 22, 2008, during one of the most important celebrations of the Christian faith, Easter! After all the sorrow and mourning that took place, I am finally able to take time to do some reflection on all that has happened.

I am reminded of what King Solomon penned in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verses 1-8.

1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born,
And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

In this world of ours, we are constantly faced with inevitable things and events. Some are pleasant in nature, some are very unpleasant. The spectrum of emotions can easily go from one end to the other. When we really think about it, there really is a season or an appointed time for everything! We can easily see this in the four seasons of the year; spring, summer, fall and winter. In each of the seasons there is a particular time to do certain things, especially in agriculture. Although, there are certain events that have a specific time frame or timetable, death is not one of them. Death can come at an unexpected time, but still, there is an appointed time for it, even though we might not be aware of it, God is totally aware of it. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." For us as human beings, we have no control over when and how we are born, nor when or how we will die. If anything, I have come to understand that one of the certainties of life, is death.

Death has a way of bringing fear into our lives, and very well so. It is one of the many things which we cannot control. And because of the unknown, we fear it and have a tendency to avoid conversations or topics that deal with it. Can you blame us? After all, it is a normal reaction. We were made to be eternal beings, but because of sin, the immortal became mortal. There is a hope, one that Paul mentions with great joy to the church of Corinth, after having gone over in detail, the importance and reality of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58;

57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I especially like verse 57 myself! I do not know what God has in store for anyone of us or how He can turn mourning into laughter, but I do know that His promises are true and that "all things work toward good for those that trust in Christ Jesus"! Emphasis on the ALL!!

Yes, it wasn't a time that I or any family member enjoys going through, "but thanks be to God" that He has defeated death and as His children, there is no need to fear any longer! But even in death, some good can still be found. We just don't know exactly how and when. But rest assured, it will be coming!

May He be glorified in ALL things and through ALL!!

James
4/15/2008

WHO'S YOUR SUSIE?? - Inspirational Story # 5

WET PANTS

Come with me to a third grade classroom.....

There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.”

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. “You've done enough, you klutz!”

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn't you?” Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”

~~ source unknown ~~

May God help us to see the opportunities all around us!
JL

PS - Who's your Susie?? : )

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt. 4

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity and the Gospel. If this historical event were not true, then all that we proclaim and preach crumbles like a house of cards. Fortunately, there is more than enough evidence historically to sustain this claim. Ron Rhodes, in his book The Complete Book of Bible Answers, says this; “The resurrection of Christ is perhaps the best-attested historical event of ancient times.”

Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, in their book; Beyond Belief to Conviction, has this to say also; “The evidence of the empty tomb following the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ does not itself prove that Jesus rose from the dead. Yet it does require explanation.” One of those explanations is that the disciples stole the body. Almost immediately after the resurrection, steps were taken to disclaim that Jesus had risen from the dead. Matthew 28:11-15 tells us; [Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' "And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.] Interestingly enough, this is one of the objections to the resurrection that is common even in our time.

Another explanation is a case of mistaken identity. * Hugh Schonfield argues that Jesus conspired with Joseph of Arimathea, Lazarus, and an anonymous young man to convince His disciples that He was the Messiah. He allegedly manipulated events to make it appear that He was the fulfillment of numerous prophecies. [* Ron Rhodes – The Complete Book of Bible Answers] Somehow this conspiracy went wrong and the wounds suffered at the crucifixion proved fatal and Jesus died due to all the punishment. His body was then stolen and disposed of and His appearances were simply a case of mistaken identity.

The “swoon theory” is another popular explanation for the resurrection. This particular theory says that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. He simply went into shock from being nailed and that he suffered from loss of blood. Still, he didn’t die. He just fainted (or swooned) from exhaustion. The disciples, poor simple souls, thought him for dead and buried him alive in a tomb. The coldness of the tomb woke Jesus from his state of shock. And when He came out of the tomb, the disciples assumed he had risen from the dead. Then we have the one that claims that the women and the disciples went to the wrong tomb.

It amazes me how many people are so willing to believe in these far-fetched explanations that in most cases they would never believe. Not only did the women and the disciples go to the wrong tomb, but the Roman soldiers and the Jewish Sanhedrin went also. Let’s not forget the owner of the tomb itself, Joseph of Arimathea. He must have forgotten where his own tomb was located. Not only that, but what about the angel? The Celestial GPS must have been off, because he removed the stone from the wrong tomb!!

What about the swoon theory? Certainly that could be possible? Maybe, but this theory has several fatal flaws. Prior to crucifying their victims, the Romans would make sure that they underwent a most vicious beating. They used what was known as a flagrum, which is basically a whip with several tails at the tip of it that were embedded with something sharp. This would rip apart the victim’s back to shreds and many would die even before their execution as a result. On top of this beating, Jesus was then nailed to a cross. Because the next day was the beginning of Passover, Jewish law did not allow for any victim to remain hanging on the cross overnight. What the Romans would then do is break their legs in order to speed up the process of death. The main cause of death in crucifixion was asphyxiation. The victim would be unable to push himself up on his feet in order to breathe and the result would be suffocation. When they came to where Jesus was hanging, he was already dead. To make sure, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. Mark 15:44-45 says; “Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.” This was to verify that Jesus was indeed dead when he was laid in the tomb! No Roman soldier would dare lie for penalty of death. These people took killing seriously. They knew when a person was dead.

And finally, the stolen body theory. This theory may seem more believable than the others, but still, it also has its flaws. Let’s see, there was the problem of a stone on a grooved incline and weighing as much as a car that sealed up the entrance. There were also a small detachment of Roman soldiers to deal with. This would not have been easy, even if they were all asleep. If they had somehow been able to move the stone, all the noise would have woken them up. These soldiers were there to make sure no one came near the tomb under penalty of death! Besides, the disciples were all hiding from fear of the Romans and the Jewish leaders. None of them were willing to risk going out into the open and run into a detachment or Roman soldiers to remove a 1 – 2 ton stone and steal a body which they believed was dead.

There are other theories loose out there, but these are the more popular ones. On top of that, “He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6) “He showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts1:3) It would have been a simple matter for the Romans or the Jewish leaders to have produced the body of Jesus and stopped these unfounded rumors among the people, but they didn’t! Why? Because they knew it had happened and they had no proof to refute it! They could not produce a body!

The resurrection carries a powerful promise. Because He lives, we also shall live! This promise has become very meaningful to me. The recent death of one of my sisters has reminded me of this once again. The approaching end of my 99 year old grandmother seems even closer. We as Christians have something historically tangible and true to hang on to. That even when we die, life is awaiting us all at the other end! As we close our eyes here, we will open them there in the presence of the one who conquered death, Jesus Christ our Lord!!

3/23/2008
James

[Information for this article provided by:
Beyond Belief to Conviction – Josh McDowell/Bob Hostetler
The Complete Book of Bible Answers – Ron Rhodes]

A TIME TO BE STILL

These last few weeks have been very painful and sad ones for me. I am faced with the death of one of my sisters and with a grandmother whose years are slowly fading away as time goes by. Currently, my grandmother is in the hospital due to some weight loss, of being partially dehydrated, and a low blood count. Of course she is 99 years old and the fact that she has lasted this long has been a true blessing from the Lord! Due to her age, dementia is slowly setting in and her short term memory is waning away. She doesn’t eat very well because she thinks she has already eaten. That is where she’s at right now. Her life on this earth has been a rough and long road, but I know that soon her sorrows will be over and a new life will begin for her in the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Death is inevitable in this life, but it doesn’t diminish the sorrow and sadness that follows it due to the separation of our loved ones. Yet in all this and with the approach of Easter Sunday, I am reminded of one of the most powerful demonstrations of Jesus, the defeat of death! The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, ‘When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?" We are no longer to live in fear of death because death to the believer is not the end, but the beginning! It is merely a doorway through which we can step into the threshold of eternity!

With the reality of these family situations, I have had to take the stand that the Psalmist took as he was facing his enemies on a constant basis and it seemed like they would be upon him at any moment to end his life. In these despairing moments, he finds peace and security in God. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." He realized that there was nothing he could do to better his situation. All he really needed was to step back and allow God to fight his battles!

Many times we can all become overwhelmed with the stresses of this life and especially when we are faced with the really tough ones, like the passing of a loved one. It doesn’t get any worse than that, but yet, my God is greater than that! His promise to us was that death would no longer be the one to rule in our lives. Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Even in death, good can always come out because God has a way of turning mourning into laughter!

This week has also brought much joy with a visit from my first granddaughter! I have been the recipient of experiencing both, a passing away and a new life just beginning! Already God is turning my mourning into joy and laughter! He has reminded me once again that all I need to do is to be still, step back, and know that He is God!!

To Him be ALL Power, Glory and Honor forever AMEN!!

James
3/20/2008

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt 3

There are two basic parts within the concept of Easter. They are the crucifixion, and the resurrection. Sometimes the ascension will be considered a third part, but for the most part, it is usually included within the resurrection portion of the two.

Crucifixion was an ancient and very horrific method of execution used in Ancient Roman and in neighboring Mediterranean cultures. The Roman Empire used this method until about 337 A.D. It was an extremely slow death, producing an extreme amount of pain, for a prolonged period of time. Although the methods of crucifixion varied with location and time, the main objective remained the same. To provide a humiliating, slow and painful death using whatever means necessary to achieve that goal.

The Greek and Latin words for crucifixion describe many different forms of similar executions, from impaling on a stake to nailing to a tree, to an upright pole or to a combination of an upright and a crossbeam. It was also customary that if a crossbeam was used, the condemned man or woman was forced to carry it on their shoulders to the place of execution. The whole cross would weigh approximately over 300 pounds, but the crossbeam would weigh only 75-125 pounds. In spite of this, it would have still been very painful to carry the crossbeam because the condemned person’s back would have been torn open by the many lacerations produced by severe whipping and beatings.

There are historically detailed accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus contained in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. According to the Gospels, Jesus died before late afternoon, before the Jewish Passover celebration. There was an execution site just outside the city gates of Jerusalem called Golgotha, also known as Calvary. Jesus was crucified using a crossbeam style cross, from the fact that the Gospels give details of having to carry “his cross”. The main beam was waiting at the site of execution awaiting the arrival of the condemned with the top cross beam. The particular cross used for Jesus probably resembled a T shape, which was a combination of an upright beam (in Latin: stipes) and a crossbeam (in Latin: patibulum).

It was a total of about six hours of torture and pain before Jesus finally died from a fatal stab wound “piercing his side” near the upper chest area closest to the heart. At this point, death was instantaneous. Jesus had already suffered many hours of beatings and torture by strong and powerful, highly trained Roman soldiers well versed in the art of inflicting pain without bringing about immediate death. Physically speaking, he would have been weak from dehydration and from being beaten beyond description, and suffered shock from the huge spikes that were driven through his wrists and feet. His torture began approximately around nine in the morning to about three in the afternoon. Since there were no precise instruments to tell time with, the day began with the rising of the sun, which would make it around six in the morning in our modern day, and the end of the day would be at sundown, which would have been somewhere around six in the evening. The day was generally broken down in quarters of the day. Sunrise would be the first hour; nine in the morning would be the third hour; high noon would be the sixth; three in the afternoon would then be the ninth hour and sundown would be the twelfth. These would be approximate times because there were no watches or clocks to mark the exact time.

With this said, several things happened from the noon hour until three in the afternoon. First, the Gospels tell us that there was darkness from the sixth hour (12 noon), until the ninth (3 PM). It is possible that this rare event might have been brought upon by a solar eclipse. Mark 15:33-37, tells us that the darkness lasted for three hours and that at the ninth hour (3 PM – approx.), Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Shortly after this, Jesus uttered a loud cry, and died. Matthew 27:50-52, also gives us similar details. Immediately upon Jesus giving his last cry and breath, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split”. This seems to describe some kind of earthquake at the time of his death. It also says that “tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” Luke 23:44-46 describes very similar details. John’s Gospel is the only one that does not go into much detail about the final hour of Jesus’ death, but rather gives other details surrounding the moments leading up to his death.

Through the centuries, many have tried to discount the historical evidence of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. No matter how hard they may try, it still stands as an event that was true and real; that Jesus the Christ was crucified and truly did die, no fake death here; and in three days resurrected from the dead! There is no way possible that any one could have survived such a torturous and painful death, and to top it off, be pierced by a spear from a Roman soldier and survive! Christ’s death was a real event and it involved the death of his physical body.

3/20/2008

James

[Information for this article provided by:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia online]

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt. 2

For much of the western, as well as the eastern world, Easter is a very important religious holiday. As mentioned in my previous article, it is the commemoration and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the grave which happened on the third day after his crucifixion (27 – 33 AD). This event is of great significance because the very foundation of our faith rests upon it! The Apostle Paul tells us, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). If the resurrection did not really happen, then the apostles were liars and false witnesses, our faith is invalid, we are all still lost in our sins, the dead in Christ have perished, and there’s really no hope for any of us beyond the grave! Everything we as Christians hold dear and true is dependant upon the historical accuracy of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Easter is also closely linked to the Jewish Passover celebration not only for much of its symbolism, but also for its position in the calendar. * Easter also refers to the season of the church year called "Eastertide" or the "Easter Season". Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day, but now officially lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. The first week of the Easter Season is known as Easter Week.

According to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke), the crucifixion is to have been around the time of the Jewish Passover. The Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples just before his death is generally thought of as a Passover meal, based upon the chronology of these three Gospel accounts. The Gospel of John, however, speaks of the Jewish elders not wanting to enter the hall of Pilate in order "that they might eat the Passover", implying that the Passover meal had not yet occurred (John 18:28; John 19:14). So, John places Christ's death at the time of the slaughter of the Passover lamb, which would put the Last Supper slightly before Passover, on 14 of Nisan of the Bible's Hebrew calendar. The Jewish feast was carried over into the Christian Easter celebration as well.

* Easter is one of those holidays that are considered 'moveable' feasts because it is not a fixed date on the calendar. It falls at some point between late March and late April each year following the cycle of the moon. It is for this reason that the date of Easter has been a controversy for many centuries. Some have wanted it to be a fixed holiday based on the Jewish calendar, while others wanted it to be distinguished from the Jewish date. The 14 Nisan date (based on the Jewish calendar), was used in the early church and was strongest in the churches of Asia Minor until the issue was formally settled at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. It was decided that all Christians would celebrate Easter on the same day, which would be Sunday. The council did not set a specific date, but rather gave the Bishop of Alexandria the privilege of announcing the annual date of the Christian Passover. Of course, it did take some time for the Alexandrian rules and methods to be applied and adopted throughout Europe. In the meantime, the Church of Rome continued to use an 84 year lunisolar calendar cycle from the late 3^rd century until about 457 AD. With the adoption of the Gregorian calendar by the Catholic Church in 1582 and the continuing use of the Julian calendar by Eastern Orthodox Churches, the date on which Easter is celebrated is again deviated, and continues to differ to this day.

* The rule, since the Middle Ages, has been for Easter to be observed on the Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the vernal equinox. Vernal equinox refers to the Sun positioned directly over the Earth’s equator, which happens around March 20^th and September 23^rd each year.

I believe that while it is a good idea to try and celebrate an important occasion as close to the true date as possible, it is more important to celebrate the event and not put too much emphasis on the date. In doing so, we can assure ourselves not to lose site of the real issue, in this case, the miracle of the resurrection of Christ!

3/17/2008

James

[* Information for this article provided by:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia online]

THE MEANING OF EASTER - Pt 1

Just this past week one of my coworkers asked the students in my classroom if they knew why Easter was celebrated. As expected, most of the student in my class did not know much about it. Of course, these are mostly 9 and 10 year olds, but still, one would hope that some would know since most of them come from a Catholic background. Easter is one of the major religious holidays for Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Greek Orthodox and other similar religions. It is also one of the most controversial holidays for many people, especially in the work place.

In my case, the Chicago Board of Education has had many problems with this holiday because it coincides with our Spring Break. It used to be that we were given Good Friday off, but now things have changed because of the controversy that was raised of the issue of church and state. Since the Chicago Public Schools are run by the city and state, this becomes a problem. They came up with a compromise a few years ago in order to try and "solve" this "problem". Spring Break would now coincide so that Good Friday and Easter are during the week that we are off from work. So each year it changes. When Easter falls in March, our Spring Break is also in March. When it falls in April, then we are off in April as well. So much fuss over so little, one would think!

Getting back to my story. Finally, one of the boys raised his hand and said he knew what Ester was about. We all listened in anticipation of finally getting an answer! He then proceeded to say that "Easter is when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and Halloween was when he died."
My coworker and I looked at each other in amazement! Definitely not an answer we expected! It was funny in a way! I had to laugh to myself and so did my coworker! At least he had it half right! LOL! Needless to say, we had to leave it at that and shortly after, I came over to him and in a few words explained why he had only gotten it 50% right. I'm not sure if he was trying to be funny or if he REALLY thought that's how it was! It seemed like he was being honest.

Anyway, it made me start to think of how much this world is in dire need of a savior and how the many different traditions and customs have come to overshadow the true meaning of something so deep and real! It's like the dilemma of Christmas all over again! How sad!!

As we all know, one of those customs and traditions has been the Easter Bunny along with the colored Easter eggs during the time of Easter. * The tradition of the Easter Bunny and the eggs came from the German immigrants in the 18th century. The word Easter relates to and comes from an ancient pagan goddess of the spring named Eostre. The story goes, according to a popular piece of folklore, Eostre once saved a bird whose wings had frozen during the winter by turning it into a rabbit. Because the rabbit had once been a bird, it could still lay eggs, and that rabbit became the modern Easter Bunny. Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of extreme antiquity; since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth (to large litters) in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.

* Rabbits and hares are both lagomorphs; they are prolific breeders. The females can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first (the two are born separately); this phenomenon is known as 'superfetation'. Lagomorphs mature sexually at an early age and can give birth to several litters a year (hence the sayings, "to breed like bunnies" or "multiply like rabbits"). It is therefore not surprising that rabbits and hares should become fertility symbols, or that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore; however, the notion of a rabbit that lays eggs has an uncertain past. It may have simply arisen from a confusion of symbolism but, like much of the holiday of Easter itself, it could be a direct heritage from older traditions.

* The precise origin of the custom of coloring eggs is not known, although it too is ancient; Greeks to this day typically dye their Easter eggs red, the color of blood, in recognition of the renewal of life in springtime (and, later, the blood of the sacrificed Christ). [By the way, my coworker is Greek and she mentioned and shared this particular bit of information about this tradition with us.] Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long "dead" time of winter. Other colors, including the pastels popular in the United States and
elsewhere (possibly symbolizing the rainbow), seem to have come along later.

* German Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhas" , sometimes spelled out as "Oschter Haws". "Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. This legend is most likely rooted in the European folklore about Hares eggs which seems to have been a confusion between hares raising their young at ground level and the finding of Plovers nests nearby, abandoned by the adults to distract predators.

With all this mixing of folklore and traditions, it is no wonder that things are the way they are today. Rabbits and hares, hares and rabbits! Tearing out our 'hair' over all the confusion! :) The one event is therefore not exactly related to the other, as we have learned. The only connection between the true celebration of Easter and the customs and traditions handed down through generations is the time of the season in which each is celebrated. Because of the celebrations of the spring season, the holiday of Easter has been lost among all the rabbits, the eggs, and traditions based on folklore!

In Part 2 I will talk about the similarities and differences of this holiday between the various major religions today. I hope you will come back and stick around for the ride!

Chances are I will not be asking my students questions about the holidays for a while! This one was enough!! :)


3/14/2008
James

[* information provided by: Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia online]

THE BLESSING OF THORNS - Inspirational Story # 4

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door.

Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole that from her.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come for the holiday.

Then Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. She has no idea what I'm feeling, thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her.

"I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving "Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Just then the shop door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi, Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her chest. And she left with her order.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uh....she just left with no flowers!

"Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and never questioned the good things that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask questions! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving Special....12 thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said. "It's all too...fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns!

~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~

Salvation Pt 4 – Saved Forever?

Romans 8:1 is one of my favorite Bible verses, among many! This one is particularly special because Paul touches on something very important, yet basic. It is a fact that many Christians unfortunately miss, and that is the security of our salvation. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The word condemnation used here in the Greek is ‘katakrima’, which comes from the word ‘katakrino’. It was a term used in a court of law to refer to someone receiving an adverse sentence or guilty verdict. What Paul is then saying in Romans 8:1 is simply this; there is no longer a “guilty verdict” upon those who are in Christ Jesus! Even the word “in” is indicating something stable and fixed. The word ‘en’, which is translated ‘in’, is a primary preposition denoting a fixed position in place, time or state. Now let’s look at this verse again. There is therefore now no “guilty verdict” for those who are "fixed and/or stable along with" Christ Jesus. This is awesome!

When we accept the gift of salvation, it is a one time deal (as pointed in the previous posting – Salvation Pt 3). God is not an “Indian giver”, like many believers tend to portray Him as such. Once we accept salvation, He will not take it away from us! If we are “in Christ Jesus”, meaning we are joined together with Him, and since Jesus cannot be condemned, then neither can we! “But wait”, you might say, “What happens when we sin? Won’t sinning cancel our salvation and make it invalid?” Good question. And the answer is a resounding “No”! You see we are the true guilty ones. Justice demanded that payment be made for the sins of mankind. What happened at the cross was that Jesus came and paid the penalty of sin, which was death, for all of us! The guilty verdict or condemnation that was supposed to be our sentence was placed upon Jesus and He became the “guilty” one even though He was innocent! He then took that sin and went to the cross with all of our sins and paid the penalty in order for all those sins to be erased and cleared for us! Jesus was the condemned one that died, but then became the one that overcame death and sin for all of us! Upon Christ rising from the dead, salvation became permanent and the condemnation that was once upon us no longer had any validity!

We can look at it this way, suppose you were caught committing a crime. You were given a court date and you stood before a judge. The evidence is presented and you are found guilty, based on the witnesses and evidence presented before the court. You are then sentenced to serve time in prison for a determined amount of time. Before you are taken away to be confined to a cell, the judge being moved to compassion, asks his son, who happens to be sitting in the courtroom, if he would take your place and carry out your sentence instead. The son stands up and agrees to do just that. He will take your place and carry out the punishment that rightfully belonged to you. You are set free and the crime is no longer accredited to you. You still did the crime, but the son did the time. Once the son carries out the sentence, he will be released and the crime will have been paid. We can take it a step further. Since the father is a judge, he can then have the whole thing expunged from his son’s record as if the crime was never committed, both for him and you!

My question to you is for which sins did Christ die for? If you answered all, then you are correct. And all includes past, present, and future sins! If this is true, then there is not a sin that you have committed in the past, are committing in the present, or will commit in the future, that He hasn’t already paid for. And if He’s paid for it, then it will be forgiven…forever!!

3/2/2008

James